


jack

by violentlysilent



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Gender-Neutral Pronouns
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:01:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26261557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violentlysilent/pseuds/violentlysilent
Summary: mc heard john mulaney say, "this might as well happen," and it stuck with them way more than it should have.it was what they were thinking the night they summoned something on accident.it was what they were thinking when said something was over six-and-a-half feet tall, with horns, various adornments, a tail, and a smile that shouldn't have been as dazzling as it was.it was what they were thinking when said something was their roommate for a short while, with an affinity for cropped shirts, it seemed.it was what they were thinking when said something asked to possess them—for their own good, of course. so they'd be protected.mc calls something jack.jack is not his name.
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

prologue (i)

the human experience is largely made up of things we didn’t choose. the lives we live are, in large part, affected by the choices of other people—most of whom, we never even get to meet. as unpleasant as it is, that our lives are most affected by choices we never got the chance to make, that’s just the way it is. who decided that the random design mc drew with their icing was a summoning symbol? certainly not them. who decided to cut the power for their entire apartment complex? not them. of course, they did decide to use candles placed at each corner of their table, but that was more for aesthetics and, well, to see. but who decided the moon should be full? wasn't them. and who decided that the tune they were humming, something they conjured up just to pass the time, was an incantation? not them either. and who decided that the entity they summoned was hell’s equivalent of a missing person? well—guess who _didn’t_. and did they mean to cut themselves and get blood on their cake? of course not. what kind of animal wants blood on their cake?

none of that was their fault.

what happened afterward, though? everything that transpired after their impromptu summoning? oh, well—all of that was completely, totally, and one hundred percent on them.

when they left the kitchen to get a bandaid and came back to the absence of comfort that came with being alone, the new presence overwhelming despite the fact that they couldn't quite see anyone, they could've left. would their new guest have let them? not a chance in hell, but at the very least, they didn't have to continue walking into the kitchen.

their steps were slow and deliberate, breathing shallow as they opened the bandaid. it was a simple task, one that should've taken a few seconds, but the way their hands were shaking delayed them significantly. sweat trickled down the curve of their spine, their body running cold as the feeling of dread sank in. they couldn't shake the feeling that was swarming them. it was the same feeling they got whenever they turned the lights off before going upstairs. the same feeling they got whenever they closed their eyes in the shower. whenever they were walking home. the unbearable need to turn around. to run.

their uneven breaths came to a stutter when they felt cool air hit the back of their neck, stilling every muscle in their body. they turned their head slowly, twisting around to see who— _what_ —was breathing down their neck, but something stopped them. a gentle hand running down their jawline and stopping at their chin, guiding their head in the right direction.

they were met with a pair of sharp, consuming eyes that seized their gaze, refusing to let them look away. if the last few minutes was no indication that the man in their kitchen was not of this world, his appearance certainly was.

nothing about him was earthly. obsidian horns protruded from his head, glinting in the candlelight. they looked more like antlers, parts branching off of the center, but they were angled, pointed—sharp. he was adorned in jewelry they'd never quite seen before, strange metal and unfamiliar jewels draped around his neck and shoulders, hanging from his ears and studded throughout. they could just make out dark ink coiled around his arms and across his chest, unlike any tattoo they'd seen before. his skin, almost the most normal thing about him, was a deep, rich color, not unlike many people they'd seen, but at the same time—worlds different. it was unnaturally smooth, with the faintest glow to it, like he was trying to be modest.

and don't even get them started on the tail. it looked like an extension of his spine if they were to assume his spine was the same obsidian as his horns. it crackled lightly when it swayed, eventually curling around his waist and settling there.

when he spoke, his voice was calm, with a teasing undertone that they didn't appreciate in the slightest, mostly because he was right.

"are you too enamored to run?"

it was a simple question, and yet, they couldn't answer. were they in shock? was their throat too dry? or were they simply too afraid? all of the above, unfortunately. however, regardless of why they couldn't speak, they still took too long to answer.

he tilted his head to the side in apparent confusion, narrowing his eyes by a fraction. when he spoke again, his voice was less teasing—surprisingly, to their dismay.

"don't you speak? indulge me, say something."

when he was met with silence again, he raised an eyebrow, as if the human in front of him was choosing not to respond.

just as they began to speak, heartbeat growing more erratic at the prospect of him being annoyed, he took his hand away from their chin and hooked his fingers around their belt, pulling them closer.

"i—"

their voice died in the back of their throat as they stumbled forwards, their eyes free of his prying gaze once they lost their footing. they shut their eyes tightly as they looked down, finally catching their breath as they held onto his arms for balance. their relief was short-lived, however, because almost as soon as they broke eye contact with him, his free hand was at their chin again, guiding them in the right direction once more.

"why did you—" they started, gripping his arms tighter as they felt themselves faltering again "—i was about to start talking, why did you do that?"

"do what?" he asked, tugging on their belt again. "this?"

they narrowed their eyes at him, unappreciative of how much control he possessed in that moment—since the moment he arrived.

"what's that face?" he pouted—he _pouted_ —still keeping a firm hold on their belt. "you look upset with me."

his pout slipped away almost immediately as it gave way to a slight grin, "i just wanted to, little lamb."

_little lamb?_

they shook their head slightly, confusion chipping away at their fear.

"i don't know why you're here," they said, voice unsteady. "i don't even know who you—who are you?"

their mind was racing as they forced the words to come, still trapped by his gaze.

"you summoned me and you don't know who i am?" he questioned, finally letting go of their belt. "humans get more and more interesting as the eons go by."

he stared at them a little while longer before looking away, eyes scanning their kitchen as he connected the dots. the blood dotting the symbol—his symbol—drawn in icing on their cake, the light streaming into the house from a full moon, the bandaid packaging on the floor—

"this was an accident?" he concluded aloud, looking back at them for confirmation.

they nodded profusely, not uttering a single word.

he took his hand away from their face, stepping back and crossing his arms as he took in their full appearance. a regular human with many years left in them, judging from their youthful appearance, despite being fully grown. nothing special.

but something wasn't right. it would take an exceptionally strong individual to summon him, and yet, the person before him didn’t seem exceptional in the slightest—not in the proper ways, anyway.

"ask me for my name, little lamb."

they blinked at him, eyebrows furrowed in confusion as they spoke, "why?"

he leaned down and held their gaze again, eyes taking on a slight glow.

"ask."

it wasn't a request.

their reply came immediately and their voice was foreign to their own ears, "what's your name?"

almost as soon as his answer came, their ears started ringing, sending pulses between their temples as they struggled to cover their ears, crying out in pain as they sank to the floor. they felt warmth trickling down the side of their face, sticking to their hands as they pressed tighter against their ears. their chest heaved as pain shot through their skull, elevating their cries. their vision began to blur and they shut their eyes tightly, trying their best to stay conscious until they succumbed to the darkness that surrounded them.

he stood over them, watching their form go limp against the floor. the first thing he noticed was that they were still breathing. they were alive.

he let out a long, low whistle as he picked them up with ease, carrying them into their living room and resting them on the couch.

"impressive," he mused, eyeing the blood dripping from their ears. "that should've killed you."

he knelt on the floor beside them and examined them further, wincing upon noticing that the damage he caused was worse than he thought, blood beginning to trickle from their nose.

he hovered his lips over theirs and began whispering incantations, placing his hands on either side of their head as he got to work. after a few seconds, his aura began to surround his hands like smoke, tendrils of it coiling around their head and traversing across their body. he blew a stream of air past their lips once he saw their face relax, no longer contorted in pain.

their eyes snapped open shortly after, breathing labored as they tried to sit up, only for him to ease them back into their former position.

"what happened?" they rasped, breaths still uneven.

"you should've died," he said, like it was the easiest thing in the world. "and yet, here you are. you've impressed me."

"what the _hell_ —" they began, only to be silenced once he held up his hand.

"i'm going to tell you about it soon, little lamb, but first: think of a name for me. make it a good one, i'm trusting you," he simpered, eyes gleaming with amusement as he looked at them. "well?"

they stared at him, eyebrows slightly furrowed as they tried to search his face for something—anything—that could have indicated that he was joking. that, on top of whatever else was sure to come, they wouldn't have to think of a name for the entity that tried to kill them mere minutes ago.

unfortunately for them, they found nothing.

"do you like 'jack'?"


	2. prologue (ii)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jack only behaves like a jack on occasion, which still exhausts mc, but then again, his regular personality does the same thing, so it's a lose-lose situation. he'll make it up to them though, even if they don't realize it at first.

jack (prologue, pt. ii)

he didn’t like ‘jack.’ at all, actually. however, all of the names he suggested were too old, on account of the fact that he hadn’t been to the human world in centuries (how many people do you know named ferdinand?), so—jack it was. granted, there were much better up to date human names mc could've chosen, but jack was the first thing that came to mind. it wasn't an intimidating name. it was very human. mc could talk about him freely, if they wanted to; nobody would ask any questions about where he was from with a name like that—it worked. although he needed some convincing (read: a reminder of what happened when he said his real name), he came around eventually.

even though mc pushed for the name, the more they spent time with him, the more they could see why he didn't like it.

it didn't fit him. at all.

first of all, he didn't look like a jack, and while there isn't a particular way for a jack to look, he somehow managed to look anything but. then again, they told themselves, that was probably because he didn't look human—even when he put his horns away (upon request, of course). they would never tell him this, lest he take that terrible tone with them again, but he was, simply put, too beautiful. this was a fact that hammered them over the head when they first went out in public together and everyone kept stealing glances at him. it worried them at first, but after the first (the first) person asked him for his number, their worries subsided.

at first, they berated themselves for giving him free reign over their closet instead of simply leaving him at home while they went out to buy things for him, their clothes ill-fitting and clearly attracting attention. however, a few minutes into their self-deprecating, he did them the favor of reminding them why they didn't leave him alone in the first place.

he was absolutely fascinated by the human world, and because of this, he liked to wander off. each time mc managed to lose their six-foot-something acquaintance, they experienced several seconds of pure, unadulterated fear, whipping their head back and forth, looking this way and that, only to find him giving his undivided attention to a gumball or vending machine. after the third distraction, mc resorted to looping their arm through his for the duration of their outing.

this, of course, begs the question, "mc, how have you managed to lose track of your six-foot-something acquaintance?"

this is an excellent question, a valid question, the answer to which is the second reason why the name jack doesn't quite fit him.

elegance wasn't even close to the right word to describe the way he moved. his footsteps were impossibly light, and apparently, he could choose what kind of presence to exude, or not. that being said, it was hard to know when he came and went, which meant he developed an affinity for doing those two things, completely unannounced. mc couldn't begin to tell you how many times they've gasped, clutched their chest, or gasped while clutching their chest, because he decided to appear behind them and just wait for them to notice him, or because he decided to appear behind them and just start talking. but he could. seventeen.

he made a very interesting roommate, albeit mc's neighbors were more than likely wondering how and when he arrived—no moving trucks, no boxes, they’d never seen him before—it was like he just appeared or something. thankfully nobody said anything because if someone had, mc would've immediately played the boyfriend card, at which point he would tease them to no end—and his teasing is borderline cruel. they would rather avoid all of the pulling and poking and prodding that was to come, thank you very much.

not to mention the fact that, if mc told their neighbors that he was their boyfriend, it opened up the possibility of their neighbors letting this information slip to mc's friends, should they stop by, and this simply wouldn't do. they would ask too many questions, as any good friend would, because, quite frankly, if a complete stranger whom you have never seen before and certainly never heard of showed up at your friend's house and apparently lived there—wouldn't you be a bit worried? wouldn't you have some questions, for both of them? absolutely, right?

that's all good and well, but asking questions to a wanted man and someone who is currently harboring said wanted man is very undesirable to both parties.

of course, this begs the questions, "who, exactly, is mc's new acquaintance, why is he wanted, and by whom is he wanted?"

excellent questions, valid questions, really! the answers to which, well, they're a bit of a—

"—'doozy'? is that what humans call complicated matters these days?"

mc looked at him from their bed, arching an eyebrow in amusement, "maybe if they're over the age of forty, sure."

"is that old to you?" he asked, sitting beside them. "forty?"

"well..." they trailed, trying to string the right words together, "generally speaking, most people—"

"i don't want to know about most people, little lamb," he interjected, fingers ghosting under their chin. "i want to know about you."

they looked at him curiously, their mind beginning to reel as he stared at them. just when they thought they were fully adjusting to him, everything they already knew came back full force, especially when they were close like this. the most obvious things bonked them over the head. how gentle he was, how his voice was pleasing to the ears, unreasonably so—how, if time ever permitted, they could listen to him talk for hours.

"you're doing it again," he noted, simply stating a fact. "staring."

they most certainly were doing it again, they did it all the time—albeit they didn't mean to—but that didn't mean they wanted a reminder.

"i don't mean to," they started, turning their gaze elsewhere, "i'm sorry if i made you—"

there it was again. that same, gentle hand against their face, guiding them in the right direction until they were trapped in his gaze once more.

"i don't mind," he drawled, "when someone stares, it usually means they're curious or intrigued. i find myself staring at you all the time, it's only natural."

"then…" they trailed, turning to face him completely, "can i ask you a question or two?"

he brought a hand up to his face and hummed, pretending to mull their words over.

"i don't know," he said, "i'm kind of shy."

ah! there it was, the only reason why the name jack worked for him, somewhat. sometimes he said things that just made mc want to completely dissolve into the fabric of this universe, never to be seen, heard of, and, most importantly, spoken to, ever again.

mc must have been wearing a particularly nasty expression because the next thing they knew, he was teasing them all over again, and they wanted to pass away even more than before.

"oh, don't give me that face," he pleaded, despite the amusement threatening to spill across his features,"i was only teasing."

mc blinked at him, figuring they would let their silence convey how they felt about his teasing.

it was a terrible idea.

before they could blink again, they were in a different spot on their bed, no longer facing him.

"i don't like it when you're quiet," he said, resting his chin atop their head.

it wasn't until then that they realized they were sitting in his lap—and they didn't remember moving.

they whipped around, looking up at him with wide, confused eyes.

"what?" he looked down at them, equally as confused, it seemed, until he realized. "don't you know?"

they blinked again, and they were on their back, staring at the ceiling.

"i can go even faster," came his voice, a soothing hum against mc's back. "i can show you if you'd like."

"no," they started, twisting around, "i don't need any more demonstrations."

his lips quirked up into a slight grin as he stared at them, wrapping his arms around their middle.

"ask me anything you want."

their mind went into overdrive.

_who are you? where did you come from? are there others like you? what are you doing here? why—_

"why haven't you gone back?" they blurted, continuing once they noticed how his grin faltered. "and that's not to say i don't want you around, it's just—"

"i understand, little lamb," he interjected, voice gentle. "you asked me why i haven't gone back, but are you sure that's the first thing you want to know?"

he looked down at them with mirth in his eyes, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

"it was just the first thing that came to mind," they answered, "whatever makes sense to you…"

mc's voice faltered, words breaking off as he started rubbing circles into their back.

they continued, tone softer than before, "whatever makes sense to you is what you can tell me."

"do you believe in fate?" he asked, as if it were the most simple thing.

they answered, though—as if it were the most simple thing.

"i don't know," they started, eyes searching his face for a reaction. "i can't say it doesn't, and i can't say it does."

"there you go again," he smiled. "always so careful with what you say. that's good, it'll serve you well."

mc felt their heartbeat stutter, picking up its pace. they didn't like the way he spoke, as if something was coming. this was, of course, because they knew how he was. for him to speak as if something was coming, well—

"calm down," he drawled, fingers still drawing circles against the fabric of their shirt. "i won't leave your side."

and despite the fact that their mind was reeling, their heartbeat slowed.

"explain," they said, voice hardly above a whisper. "please."

he took a breath, pausing, trying to decide where to begin.

"this universe and i know each other well," he began, eyes finding theirs again. "not many people are so acquainted with her, where i'm from."

they watched him curiously, uneasy feelings turning to childlike wonder.

"i'm old enough that i've had the privilege of learning a handful of her secrets, many of which will die with me," he paused, a wistful look flicking over his features, "and some of which, you'll learn soon."

"this universe is ruled by fate. that's one of the few things humans got right, you know. no one expected you to get it, either—you surprised us. of course, some of you spoiled it with your talk of free will, but we were still impressed, for the most part," he explained, sighing softly. "but, i digress."

"as i grow older, i become more intimate with her. there are few pluses to aging quite as rewarding as this," another pause, another fleeting, wistful look, "the older i get, the more i can feel."

they furrowed their eyebrows slightly, opening their mouth to ask a question when he spoke again.

"that feeling you had when i first came. you felt me before you saw me, you sensed my presence," he said, traces of excitement in his words. "that's how this universe allows me to feel. what you did that night, even though i wasn't hard to sense, is what i can do with anything or anyone within this cosmos."

he folded the hem of their shirt upwards, exposing the skin of their lower back, no longer touching them.

"if someone is far, i need only close my eyes to feel them, to find them. but if someone is near," he breathed, placing the pads of his fingers against their back softly, slowly extending them across their back until he flattened his palm against them. "if i can touch them—"

a gasp flew past mc's lips, their hands curling into fists as a jolt of electricity shot up their spine, spreading warmth throughout their body. they sat up, breaths shallow as their heart hammered against their chest. their skin tingled, warm to the touch, as their hair stood on end.

hand still splayed against their lower back, he sat up as well, relieved that they didn't move away from him.

"for so long, i was alone, and i knew it wouldn't be forever," he continued, voice quiet, less relaxed, "but i didn't know when it would end."

they opened their mouth to speak, to ask where he was, why he was alone, for how long, but he wasn't finished.

"when you're with me, i know it's where you're supposed to be. i know i'm not supposed to leave your side just yet. the thought of it makes me feel uneasy," he said, pulling them closer, "but i can't tell you what's coming, and i can't stay by your side during it, not like this."

"you can't or you won't?" they asked, voice hoarse. they chuckled at themselves, a dry sound. "how unfair of me. of course you can't."

"i won't leave you," he said, now tracing a pattern into their back, "but i won't be with you the way i am now."

"why is it that whenever you talk to me i end up with more questions than when we started?" they asked, twisting around to face him. "have you gotten enough ambiguity out of your system that you feel like giving me answers i can understand now?"

"there it is," he grinned, amusement flashing through his eyes as they scowled at him. "i was worried you'd take everything lying down."

mc's scowl deepened, their heart rate quickening as they grew more and more annoyed.

"what, exactly, is that supposed to mean?"

"no need to be so cross," he said, voice light, even as they damn near glared at him.

of course, he had absolutely no reason to be afraid of them, but it would've made them feel better if he at least showed remorse about toying with them like this.

they stood up and whipped back around to face him, ready to rip into him for being such a fucking jack—

"can you at least be as serious about this as i am? you can't just say whatever you want and then expect me to nod along like everything makes sense to me—"

they stopped as soon as they saw him begin to shift forms, his aura—they assumed it was an aura—surrounding him like smoke. they watched as tattoos began to run across his skin, soon to be adorned with jewelry, horns growing as his eyes managed to grow darker.

"who said i wasn't being serious?" he asked, canines bore in a wicked grin.

his tone wasn't light anymore, completely overtaken by the darkness surrounding him, ready to pull them in whenever he wanted.

they crossed their arms, contemplating whether or not it was worth it to start their tirade again.

"mc," he started, not overlooking the way they stiffened at the use of their name, for he used nicknames for this exact reason, "you're impressive, do you know that? it’s a good thing, until people like me start to pay attention to you. then it starts to get you into all sorts of trouble."

their mind was racing. that sentence alone left them with exactly eleven questions, none of which they could seem to articulate in that moment, so instead, they very intelligently said—

"what?"

they blinked, expecting him to scold them, even though he had no right to do so.

all they got in return was a grin as infuriating as it was terrifying, and a smooth, "you'll see."

they stared at him, searching his expression for any sign that he was teasing them or lying to them or—something that could let them think they'd be fine. that they had nothing to be scared of.

if there was any indication, it certainly wasn't on his face. he wore the same grin, but his eyes didn't hold his usual mirth. if they looked for too long, they might find themselves consumed. getting lost in the dark was always painfully easy.

"now," he paused, gesturing to his jewelry, "pick your favorite one, and i will explain the rules."

mc blinked once. twice. three times.

“the rules?” they echoed, furrowing their eyebrows in confusion.

“yes, the rules, do you think we can just move as we please? i mean, we can, of course, but it would cause so much more trouble than need be—”

mc rolled their eyes, “no—the rules for what? what are you talking about?”

before they could exhale, they were lying flat on their back.

he hovered over them, coming nose to nose with him before they could even register that he switched their position.

“i'm talking about _possession_ , little lamb.”

all of their thoughts came to a screeching halt. it was the first time he'd been direct with them that day and it was entirely too much to handle.

_what?_

“you know, you need to learn to keep your body from betraying how you feel," he paused, studying them closely. "the fear in your eyes? the tremor of your heart? people like me enjoy it too much."


End file.
